Design Archives

The Art of Participation

Description

The Art of Participation: 1950 to Now exhibition presents an overview of participation-based art since the 1950s, reflecting on how artists create situations in which the public takes a collaborative role in the art-making process. The exhibit catalogue’s design demands similar participation by providing a space on the cover for a second, later book that will record how visitor contributions change the exhibition’s form and content during its run at SFMOMA. This theme is investigated further through the “incomplete” nature of the headline typography and the empty spaces of the body text, which are meant to be “filled in” (whether literally or mentally) by the reader.

Juror Notes

The book is fluid because of the thoughtful use of a grid system. The chapter openings are fantastic